James was born in Glen Mavis, Midlothian, Scotland. He grew up in Scotland with 8 brothers and 1 sister. On March 26, 1910, he left Bathgate, Scotland and boarded the "Cassandria". He arrived in Halifax, Nova Scotia on April 7, 1910. On April 13, 1910, he arrived in Vancouver by train. He worked in the coal mines in Nanaimo.

On December 28, 1916, he married Janet (born in Glasgow on August 19, 1894) at the Nanaimo Methodist Church. They had 3 children: Fred, James, and Mrs Marion Bochon.

In 1917, James came to Squamish to work for the PGE. He started as a "wiper", cleaning engines. He also worked as a fireman. He retired from the railway in 1952 after being an engineer for 35 years.

He built a home at 37789 Cleveland Avenue. His son Fred died.

On May 20, 1977, he took part in inaugural run celebrations for the Royal Hudson with Mayor Pat Brennan and Honourable Grace McCarthy.

His wife Janet died in June 1981. He died during one of his trips to Prince George to visit his son James and his sixth great grandchild in December 1983.

He arrived in Squamish in 1894 on the Saturna. He brought lumber up for Henry Judd's new home. Judd was about to marry Jim's sister, Barbara Anne.

Harry Judd married Barbara Anne Edwards in Vancouver on December 26, 1894. Later in 1904, Jim married Rilla Judd (Harry's sister). This was the first white marriage in the Squamish Valley and took at the bride's home. The bridesmaid was Martha Wright (daughter of school teacher John Wright). The best man was Wilby Judd (Rilla's brother). They had 3 daughters, in order of age: Ethel, Edith, and Nina (changed her name to Merna when she was about 30).

Jim's brother, Jack, came to Squamish in 1908 with his wife. They had come from Manitionlin Island, Ontario. His wife's maiden name was Elizabeth Hawkins.

Clara Judd was born to Barbara and Harry Judd on October 5, 1909. She was one of a set of twins; Jane had preceded her by half an hour.

At age 15, Clara was May Queen (1924). She later married Ernie Emms. Her sister Myrtle was a bridesmaid. She lived in West Vancouver. Ernie had been a marine engineer in the merchant marines during the war. He worked for Union Steamship Co. and then as engineer for Crown Zellerbach. They had no children.

Dorothy was born to Henry and Barbara Anne (nee Edwarsd) Judd on April 7, 1913. She was married Rob E. Farquharson and they lived in the old Judd home on Judd Road. She gave birth to her daughter Ellen (Mrs Grant) in 1940 and son Graeme in 1944.

David Galbraith was born in St. Mary's, Ontario (1858). He married Laurie Green (born in 1868) and arrived in Gastown on December 1884. Their first daughter Doris was born in Agassiz on September 5, 1895. In 1896 they moved to Harrison River. He built a store and boarding house.

His second daughter, Jean, was born at Harrison Mills in 1897. In 1901 he sold the store and boarding house to Mr Kilby.

In 1902, he came to Squamish to build the first hotel. He bought a store from Mashiter. The family arrived in Squamish in 1906. That year he also built the Cheakamus House, a hunter's lodge by the Cheakumus River (across from the present location of Fergie's), with Dutch Charlie ("Cheakamus Charlie") who operated it. His third daughter, Isobel (Widge) was born in this hotel (she would be Mrs Stan Blake). The Cheakamus House was destroyed by a flood in 1940.

In 1912, he built a store called Squamish Interiors (north of Shell Station) that would later be the Adams & Adams store.

Doris married Frank Buckley on October 11, 1914. They were the first couple married in a church in Squamish.

Mrs Galbraith died in March 1944. There was a memorial of Brass Vases and Collection Plate in the Anglican Church.

Jean (Mrs Angus McRae) won the Good Citizenship Medal in 1950 for her work as a nurse. The same year the Galbraith Hotel was sold to Empire Mills for $14,000 and used as a bunkhouse. The hotel was used to film the movie "Presbyterian Church Wager". In the early 1970's, the hotel was used to film the movie "McCade and Mrs Miller". It was demolished in 1973.

David died at age 89 on February 26, 1951. Jean's husband died in 1964. Jean Galbraith McRae died in Burnaby on January 25, 1976. Doris Galbraith Buckley died on January 7, 1978.